Here in Perú, there are four main programs: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene; Youth Development; Health; and Community Development.
The main goal of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene program is to help reduce cases of anemia by improving water quality and teaching better hygiene practices. Anemia is a condition where a person does not have enough iron in their body. It can be caused by diet, but it also happens more often when people get sick and their bodies cannot properly absorb nutrients. This is especially serious for children because anemia can affect brain development and learning.
By improving access to clean water and reducing water-related illnesses, we hope to lower the number of anemia cases in communities. Clean water and good hygiene may seem simple, but they can make a big difference in children’s health and future opportunities.
One reason water and sanitation services can be difficult to maintain is because of how the community water system is organized. The system is managed by a group called the Junta Administradora de Servicios de Saneamiento (JASS). The JASS is a community-elected board that is responsible for managing, operating and maintaining the local water system.
Members of the JASS are elected every two years. Their responsibilities include deciding on a fair monthly fee for families, collecting payments, cleaning parts of the water system, adding chlorine to disinfect the water and making sure everything is working properly.
